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Monday, 30 September 2013

So how do you follow up the hugely successfull album 'The River'? Of course you put out an album of Acoustic tracks recorded at home onto a cassette! That's gotta work, hasn't it? Well, surprisingly it did work. Bruce had wanted to get the band to do some of these songs but they seemed to lose their edge in the studio with the E Street Band.

Springsteen would say of the album, "Nebraska was something people weren't expecting, and it turned everything I'd done to that point on it's head...I went for an emotional flatness that I felt was a part of the way those stories would get told...This junky equipment unintentionally made this lo-fi, spooky record. I mean, I knew the mood I was going after, but a lot of it was just an accident." (Quoted from 'E Street Shuffle The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band' by Clinton Heylin).

A great accident as well. You can almost feel the loneliness, smell the fear, be gripped by the despair of some of these songs, even 31 years on from when it was first released.

It was an album that puzzled me on first listen, I mean, you're so used to hearing a full band backing Bruce, it's like you are just waiting for a Sax solo to turn up from the Big Man, or some beautiful piano coda from the Professor and the Phantom. Of course none of those things appeared. What we got was an intimate album with Bruce sitting in a chair (that you could hear the squeaks from once in awhile), guitar in hand singing some of the darkest songs he's ever written.

It's an album I totally love after having initial reservations about it. 'My Father's House' is one of my favourite Springsteen songs and it's an album that I still get a thrill listening to as these stories come to life in song.

The 'How Nebraska Was Born' Bootleg is quite an interesting piece because you can immediately see part of the process of Bruce's writing. For instance the opening two tracks - 'Fistfull of Dollars' opens with what would become, nine months later, the starting place for 'Atlantic City'. If you can find a copy it's certainly a worthwhile addition to the collection as is the 'Lost Masters Volume 1 - Alone in Colts Neck'.One thing is very clear when listening to these bootlegs is that they were not recorded in a single day (a myth that seems to be perpetuated even by Peter Ames Carlin in his book 'Bruce'). The songs that were recorded as demos for what Bruce was hoping to become the next band album were done over a period of time and if word on the tape that Springsteen gave to Landau is to be believed then most songs on it were not first takes at all.The next thing was to try and get the band to record the songs but, as Bruce said in 1984, "We went into the studio a couple of times to record those songs with the band, but it just didn't sound good...The songs had a lot of detail so that, when the band started to wail away into it, the characters got lost. Like 'Johnny 99' - I thought 'Oh, that'd be great if we could do a rock version.' But when you did that the song disappeared...It needed that kinda austere, echoey sound, just one guitar - one guy telling his story." (Quoted from 'E Street Shuffle The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band' by Clinton Heylin).Out of all the songs demoed ten were chosen for the album once it was decided that the tape was going to be the record.Springsteen told Rolling Stone Magazine in 1984: "I was just doing songs for the next rock album, and I decided that what
always took me so long in the studio was the writing. I would get in
there, and I just wouldn't have the material written, or it
wasn't written well enough, and so I'd record for a month, get a couple
of things, go home write some more, record for another month — it wasn't
very efficient. So this time, I got a little Teac
four-track cassette machine, and I said, I'm gonna record these songs,
and if they sound good with just me doin' 'em, then I'll teach 'em to
the band. I could sing and play the guitar, and then I had two tracks to
do somethin' else, like overdub a guitar or add a harmony. It was just
gonna be a demo. Then I had a little Echoplex
that I mixed through, and that was it. And that was the tape that
became the record. It's amazing that it got there, 'cause I was carryin'
that cassette around with me in my pocket without a case for a couple
of week, just draggin' it around. Finally, we realized, "Uh-oh, that's
the album." Technically, it was difficult to get it on a disc. The stuff
was recorded so strangely, the needle would read a lot of distortion
and wouldn't track in the wax. We almost had to release it as a
cassette."

The album reached #3 on the Billboard Charts and also #3 in the UK Album Charts on its release.

What Do The Fans Think of 'Nebraska'?

I asked a few folks the question and here are a few responses:"The first time I listened to Nebraska I lay in bed and put my casette
recorder under my pillow. But for the music it was dead quiet. It was
almost like a religious experience. Every note went all the way through
my body to my toes. I've never heard it so intense after that night. The album for me shows how versatile Bruce is and for me it's his purest
album and I don't know if I can think of Bruce without Nebraska. I
do still listen to it and am happy to say I heard all the songs live,
even the obscure and rare My Fathers House." Nancy Snelders (Antwerp).

"Hated it. now I love it." - Joanne Blum Jackson (USA).

"My first listen was not when it was released, as I didn't know about
him / his music until Born In The USA. So I listened to it in a time
when I had just 'discovered' him and wanted to listen to as many albums
as possible. And I was happily shocked to find out that he was so
diverse. Not just BITUSA, or The River (the first album I bought after
my sister had introduced me to BITUSA); no - he could do dark, solo and
accoustic too. Shivers down my spine.Funny thing is: now with al my music uploaded to iTunes I
hardly listen to complete albums anymore. But Nebraska is an album that I
'need' to hear start to finish. I don't always do it like that,
sometimes my iTunes or iPhone is on shuffle and that's fine. But
Nebraska is in a league of its own. But I must admit: I can not always
listen to it, it depends on my mood. Sometimes it's too dark for me
(when I'm either very happy and like to stay that way, or when I'm in a
very dark mood myself: sometimes it's nice to listen to Nebraska, but
sometimes it's a bit too much...)." - Maria Tillema (Amsterdam)."Hated
it. Wanted another River record. Atlantic city. Love it. Found CHILD
BRIDE. I love it. Make any sense out of that if you can!" - Mark D. Huntington (Huddersfield)."When I first played it I wasn't sure about it. In my head I could hear my versions of band arrangements. Now I can listen to it and appreciate it as a stand alone album.I
don't know about vital, but it was an important and brave album for
Bruce to put out, showing us another facet of the man and his music. I still play it when I need the strength of his music, but not the noise." - Ally Graham (Dunfermline).

"Until recently, I don’t think I ever listened to this
album in full. For me it’s definitely one that requires a certain mood,
perhaps when I’m feeling a little introspective. I think it’s very
blue collar which is maybe why it strikes a chord with me while I listen
to it at work and I love the fact that it was recorded on a little
4-track and kept very simple. It’s definitely a Springsteen album, his
lyrical genius is ever present, just not as busy as some of the E-Street
ones, which is a good thing. Having said that, when it comes to
playing the likes of Atlantic City live, the band certainly make a great
song sound even better! When Max kicks off with that beat it really
gets the hairs on the back of your neck going. Definitely a classic,
definitely Bruce, definitely be listened to again." - Skinny Crimmings (Ireland).

"There is so much I could say about every track on
this album but I will keep it short and to the point! I vividly
remember my first time. Was on holiday staying in a house in the middle
of a pine forest. I listened to it with the lights out and headphones
up loud. It was the perfect setting for it all especially My Father’s
House which I could see happening as he sang. I love the way the
haunting sound of the mouth organ and the minimal use of the other
instruments perfectly underpin the sombre and low-key mood of the album.
The over-riding picture I get is of Bruce singing in a quiet spit and
sawdust saloon bar right at the end of a night, bar maid washing up
the last of the glasses, lights down low, with an old cowboy nodding
off in the corner there.Yeah I do think it measures up to
being a classic Bruce album. It’s Bruce storytelling at his best. We
have stories of the worst of humanity (Nebraska), despair and loss,
(Johnny 99) the longing for something better (Mansion on the Hill) and
finally the perplexity and admiration on Reason to Believe, that despite
some of the situations people find themselves in, they still pick
themselves up and keep going. I like that it ends on an understated
note of hope!I still listen to it. I like the gentleness
of the pace and for the most part am more likely to listen to it when
I’m in a more reflective mood." - Pauline Woods (Sheffield).

Robert "Robbie" Shakespeare is one half of the brilliant, and hugely successful Sly and Robbie (Sly is Lowell "Sly" Dunbar) and today is the birthday of a man who alongside his partner has reportedly played or produced on more than 200,000 recordings since the 1970's.

Sly and RobbieThe Mastersof Riddim

They have changed the face of Reggae music a number of times during the years and have appeared alongside many of the best Jamaican Reggae Artists including The Mighty Diamonds, Bunny Wailer, Prince Far I, Peter Tosh, Sugar Minott, Black Uhuru, Culture, Dennis Brown, Frankie Paul, Jimmy Cliff and Gregory Issacs to name but a few. They have also had the opportunity to play alongside musicians from spheres of music other than Reggae, and that list includes Ian Dury, The Fugees, Marianne Faithful, Grace Jones, Mick Jagger, No Doubt, Joe Cocker and Suggs to name but a few.

Thursday, 26 September 2013

The European Leg of the Fleetwood Mac Live 2013 Tour kicked off in Dublin a few days ago (20th September). Two shows were played before moving on to London and the O2 Arena for three nights (24th, 25th, and 27th).The shows have been getting some great reviews. I've listened to a few bootlegs from a the American dates and was amazed at how good they were sounding.

(Stevie Nicks - London 24th Sept photo by Simon Joyner)

The setlist for the shows seems to be the same every night and has rarely deviated even through the USA leg of the tour. I think this is a real shame though because a band of their quality could make changes most nights, or even throw in an audible here and there.

Nice touch in London having Christine McVie get up on stage for a song and very classy of Stevie Nicks to dedicate 'Landslide' to founding member of Fleetwood Mac - Peter Green - who was present in the audience.

(Lindsey Buckingham - London 24th Sept. Photo by Matt Kent)

(Mick Fleetwood London 24th Sept. Photo by Simon Joyner)

(John McVie London 24th Sept Photo by Unknown)

Setlist

(where there is no link from either the Dublin or London show for a song I've included one from the American Leg of the Tour)

Sunday, 22 September 2013

The band will be returning to the UK in November 2013 for five dates only:

Mon 11th Nov 2013 – Birmingham, England – Symphony - SOLD OUT

Wed 13th Nov 2013 – Glasgow, Scotland – Clyde Auditorium

Sat 16th Nov 2013 – Newcastle, England – City Hall

Sun 17th Nov 2013 – Manchester, England – O2 Apollo

Mon 18th Nov 2013 – London, England – The O2

The shows will feature original members Verden Allen
(keyboards/vocals), Ian Hunter (vocals/guitar / piano), Mick Ralphs
(guitar/vocals) and Overend Watts (bass/vocals). Due to ill health,
original drummer Dale Griffin will be substituted by Martin Chambers
(The Pretenders).All tickets are priced £40, except London, which is £45 – subject to booking fee and available through. Get Tickets Here.

Born in Wynnewood, Philadelphia on this day in 1958 Joan Marie Larkin (better known to us as Joan Jett).Joan Jett is known as one of the founding members of The Runaways (alongside Cherie Currie, Lita Ford, Jackie Fox and Sandy West). Whilst not so popular in their homeland of the U.S.A., The Runaways enjoyed success in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, and even South America.

The Runaways released five albums before they called it a day - 1976 The Runaways, 1977 Queens of Noise, 1977 Live in Japan, 1977 Waitin' For The Night, and 1978 And Now...The Runaways.